


Wilted Rose

by TheCartoonPrincess



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Sex, Angel Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Angst, College Student Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, Emo Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Heavy Angst, Levi Ackerman & Mikasa Ackerman Are Related, Levi Ackerman Swears, POV Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss, POV Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Possessive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Rough Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonPrincess/pseuds/TheCartoonPrincess
Summary: Levi Ackerman never thought twice about taking a life. As an ex-hitman and underground thug, killing was a part of his DNA. But when he meets his latest victim, the beautiful Krista Lenz, everything changes. One look into those ocean blue eyes has him questioning his entire outlook on life. Does he kill the sweet Krista Lenz? Or choose the more righteous path? A RivaHisu AU.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss
Comments: 17
Kudos: 46





	1. Lord of Ackerman Manor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a new RivaHisu I have been working on. It's AU and draws inspiration from many sources, but for now, think of it as a Beauty and the Beast/RivaHisu crossover... I hope you enjoy. I'm excited to finally share it; it's going to be intense...
> 
> I do not own the rights to Attack on Titan, and the cover art I found on Pinterest.
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Look On Down From The Bridge by Mazzy Star. This such a sad, angsty song. I first heard it in Rick and Morty and got chills.. it really suits Levi's vibe in this chapter.
> 
> I dedicate this fanfiction to all my fellow RivaHisu shippers over on the Captain & The Queen Discord Server. I wish I found you all two years ago when I thought I was alone in liking this ship. Turns out I wasn't. You all know who you are...

Levi ran his thumb over his scarred, calloused fingers, releasing a cold shiver. At times he could still feel the ghost of her frail hand, and when the private car pulled up outside the manor, he gave a long, wistful sigh, trying to erase her face from his memory.

How she still haunted him with those gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes. Even though twenty-five years had passed since her death, it still felt like yesterday when he gazed into her grey-blue eyes for the last time.

She had once been a beautiful, smiling woman, but the awful disease had whittled her down to a useless bag of bones in the end, and then Kuchel Ackerman was no more…

Levi's pale visage reflected back inside the glass of the car's tinted window, and at times it was like staring at his mother. But Levi was far too ugly to be compared to such a beauty. Many men had asked for his mother's hand in marriage when she was still alive, but she declined every single offer, only having time for her son.

She didn't need anyone else—as she'd told Levi countless times—and how funny it was that someone so beautiful and pure could produce something so tainted.

It wasn't that Levi was necessarily ugly, although he was short, pale, and gloomy. It was because he was rotten, having killed many a fellow man with his bare hands alone.

Levi was a trained killer. After all, he was a hitman. People paid him to take people's eyes out, but whenever he took a life these days, he felt… nothing. Not even guilt or a shred of remorse. A job was a job, no matter how ugly.

Gazing up at the large, stately home before him, Levi made a disgruntled "tch" as he opened the car door, stepping out onto the gravel driveway.

Home sweet home…

Yeah, right.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette, lighting the end with a lighter as he took a long, satisfying drag, and now that hideous structure vanished behind a cloud of smoke.

Ackerman Manor... Like something straight of a Victorian gothic novel with its high spires and turrets. Corvids flocked around the towers, their grim calls echoing across the misty grounds as a chill blanketed the air.

The chill permeated the black of his suit, clinging to the fibres as it seeped into his bones, but Levi no longer felt the cold. How could he when he was already dead inside?

A butler stepped out from the double mahogany doors, rushing towards the trunk of his car to collect his luggage, and Levi gave another "tsk".

Well, if it isn't the help, coming to save the day…

Levi didn't need servants. He didn't need a maid since he could clean well enough on his own, thank you very much.

But he was lord of Ackerman Manor now. After his Uncle Kenny finally kicked the bucket, the estate and all of its assets fell onto his shoulders, and that was why he was walking up the manor's stone steps towards a new life of riches.

After living on the streets for the last twenty years, Levi had to learn to fend for himself, using everything his Uncle Kenny taught him in order to survive. But now he'd inherited three hundred acres of forest and land, and not to forget his little orphan cousin, Mika, too, or whatever her name was.

Her father had been the younger brother of Kuchel and Kenny, and he did not have the Ackerman flare as one would call it. No, he had been a kind-hearted, albeit spineless man, marrying a woman of the Eastern clan.

Unfortunately, the pair died in a horrific massacre when Mika was only nine years old, and she has been alone ever since.

Although she did live with a small-town doctor by the name of Jaeger for some years, but as soon as she reached her eighteenth birthday, the doctor and his wife kicked her out because she'd fallen in love with their son, and that was how she ended up with Levi.

Tch.

Kenny had found her at an underground bar a few years back, taking her under his wing, and flipping great…

Just what Levi needed: another person who fought just like him.

Well, Levi would not tolerate any bullshit. As the new lord of Ackerman Manor, the kid better do as he said. No parties, no boys, and no fucking Ouija boards, or other weird necromancy shit.

The butler carried his case into the house as Levi took in his new surroundings.

A shudder worked its way up his spine. The place was covered with filth. Large oil paintings baring the faces of deceased Ackermans were covered in dust, and cobwebs draped the vaulted ceiling like Christmas decorations.

Did the maids even know how to clean at this manor? Levi could do a better job, further proof that he didn't need anyone.

Moving towards the front parlour, Levi stopped dead in his tracks once his gaze landed on a gloomy, pigtailed girl reading a dog-eared copy of Dracula, and once again, he gave a "tch".

The brat placed her book down at the sound of his voice, and now she glared up at him from a dusty couch. A generous amount of dust covered this room too from the mantle, the mahogany table, and the fancy red chaise by the open-pit fireplace.

The chandelier was coated in cobwebs, and it looked as if Levi had some serious cleaning to do.

His late uncle had rarely spent time in this grand house, preferring a life on the road like a typical nomad as he went from job to job.

Levi had never been up to scratch on his uncle's old pastimes, but they couldn't have been pleasant (well, no more pleasant than being a hitman).

Mika wore a long-sleeved, grey jumper down to her thighs and a black frayed skirt, and was that a dog collar around her neck? Tch.

Her makeup was pitch black like her hair, and it looked like he had a real troublemaker on his hands.

Levi had no idea how old she was. She did turn eighteen some years back, so that made her an adult now.

She may not be a brat anymore, but he still wouldn't tolerate her gum chewing. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the girl blew a bubble from her lips, and Levi winced when it popped.

Disgusting, and now it looked as if he would have to teach her proper Ackerman etiquette.

Levi stamped out his cigarette onto a nearby sideboard, and he was being a big old hypocrite. Smoking was just as disgusting as gum chewing. Levi had tried to quit many times, yet he always caved in the end, giving in to temptation.

The smoke was making his hair and clothes smell bad, yet with the downward spiral his life was currently heading, he may as well succumb to nicotine.

Besides, it wasn't as if his days weren't numbered. Levi had many enemies who would pay big money to see a hole through his head.

"You must be Mika… You've grown since I saw you last. What are you now, eighteen? Nineteen?"

Mika's scowl darkened, and Levi raised an eyebrow. Was it something he said?

"Twenty, actually," she replied. "Soon to be twenty-one, and it's Mikasa…"

Cold rain splattered against the window outside, spreading a chill through the air, but it did nothing to brighten Levi's shitty mood. He never took his eyes off that insolent brat, and the girl really was pushing her luck.

Well, Levi was the new lord of the house now, so she better keep her sassy mouth shut.

He stepped into the room, and despite his gloomy exterior, the girl didn't flinch. Not even when he loomed above her slouched form.

Levi was a little impressed. It took a lot of guts to go up against Levi Ackerman of all people, hitman, and ex underground thug, and it looked as if he had a real spitfire.

"Listen, Mikasa, or whatever your name is... I'm the new boss around here, so you better not get on my shitty side. I won't be as lenient as our late Uncle Kenny. After all, I don't play nice…"

The girl stood, towering above him since he was only five foot three, and Levi made an irritable tsk.

Of course, she'd be tall... Taller than him, but she was still a brat.

"And you better not get on my shitty side, Cousin Levi..." Her dark eyes narrowed, and then she looked him up and down. "Doesn't look as if you've grown much. You're still an angry little elf man..."

She whirled out of the room, leaving Levi alone with his broody thoughts at last. He glared at the spot where she vanished, grinding his teeth.

That insufferable brat...

With the gloomy bitch gone, Levi could finally relax. So he turned to gaze into a mirror above the ornate fireplace, fixing his cravat.

Now his miserable face stared back at him, and Levi really was a repugnant little creature—Mikasa was right. Again, he marvelled at how someone as beautiful as his late mother could produce someone so grotesque.

As if being short wasn't bad enough. Levi had ghostly white skin and black rings under his eyes, giving him a perpetually tired look. His nose was long, and his lips were thin, and not for the first time, Levi wondered how he was going to convince some poor girl to love his ugly mug.

Especially as he had a large scar running down the left side of his face. One of his old clients may have gotten a little frisky in the past, but it had nothing on all the emotional scars...

He reached a hand up and traced a finger down the pale white skin, and winced. Not that he harboured any desire to get married, but true love was something akin to magic in Levi's eyes.

It didn't exist.

Yet he had to pass down the Ackerman Estate to someone eventually when he kicked the bucket. Unlike his uncle, Levi had no nephew to fall back on, so now he was stuck with the unfortunate circumstance of having to find a wife to bear his ugly children.

Just who in their right mind could ever love such a beast?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last line was a Beaty and the Beast quote. Quite fitting, hey...
> 
> Chapter 2 will be up in several days. We will meet a certain little blonde queen.


	2. The Queen of Campus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2 as promised. Thank you for the lovely reviews and the follows! They mean a lot.
> 
> This chapter was definitely inspired by Legally Blonde. Krista/Historia here is like a mix between Elle Woods and Cher from Clueless, thrown in with Attack on Titan Junior High Krista. She's such a cute blonde, and definitely a complement to Levi's dark aura.
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Perfect Day by Hoku. It's the song that plays at the start of Legally Blonde. Krista/Historia is so Elle...

Krista stirred in her sleep, waking up from the most amazing dream. Someone licked her face, and she giggled, pushing them away. "Reiner, stop…"

The frat boy wouldn't stop, persistent as ever, and now Krista rolled over to get away from the buff blond.

Still, he wouldn't leave her alone, and what was with his breath? It smelled like dog food.

Wait.

Opening her eyes, Krista gasped when she gazed into the cute teddybear face of her Pomeranian, Pumpkin. The pup gave a squeaky bark, spinning around in a bid to get Krista out of bed.

Of course. Today was the day...

Reiner was going to propose! Well, he should be; they had been dating for nearly four years now and were pretty serious. So she clasped her hand to her chest, biting back a squeal.

Grabbing her dog, Krista planted a sweet kiss onto her little nose then jumped out of bed, running straight towards her walk-in closet. She moved inside, brushing her fingers along the many designer garments until they settled on the perfect dress.

Krista pulled out the dress, jumping up and down with glee when she saw the label, and she couldn't wait to see the look on Reiner's face when he saw it on her tonight.

The dress was smooth pink satin that hugged her in all the right places. It even split at the thigh as Krista spun around, imagining she was dancing with Reiner.

It made sense that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together—the most popular girl and guy at college. Krista was the president of her sorority and Reiner his fraternity. He was also the captain of the football team, and Historia the head cheerleader, and they were made for each other.

Krista had classes to get to first before she could start on her hair and makeup. Her fellow sisters, Sasha, Hitch, Mina, and Hanna, would be helping her out, and if only the next twelve hours would flash by.

When 8 pm finally arrived, the time Reiner would pop out his huge diamond wedding ring, Krista would squeal for joy. Then she would cry in front of the whole restaurant, and then everyone would see how lucky she was.

She loved Reiner, and Reiner loved her, and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him.

After applying her makeup and combing through her blonde hair, Krista threw on a plaid pink skirt with a matching jacket and beret hat, then leaned down to let Pumpkin jump into her purse. Then she set off for class in her cute pink heels, excited for what the day had to bring.

Life was so wonderful. There were rainbows all around in Krista's perfect little world, and absolutely nothing can ruin her day.

Every face she passed through the dormitory smiled and waved, eager to get her attention, and although Krista had tried to learn all of their names, it was just too difficult.

Being popular was hard work (and being ridiculously cute too).

"Hey, Krista! Love the outfit!"

"You look cute!"

"Wanna be my best friend!"

Krista gushed, flattered. "Oh, you are all so kind!"

"Here, let us get the doors for you!"

Two girls rushed forth to open the doors when she reached the ground floor, and Krista showered them with nothing but thanks. "I have such the sweetest roommates! Thank you!"

The girls looked as if they could barely contain themselves at the prospect of being able to open a door for Krista, and at times, Krista felt like a celebrity.

Well, suppose she kind of was; she was definitely famous at this school, being dubbed the queen of Sina University, and Krista took it under her stride.

So she did the kind thing, reaching up to peck both girls on the cheeks, and they both swooned.

"She kissed me!"

"I will never wash this cheek again!"

With an adorable giggle, Krista placed her purse over her shoulder as little Pumpkin popped her head out, then sauntered off across campus to get to her class.

As always, boys wolf-whistled as she passed, and Krista rolled her eyes, smiling.

So childish.

"Looking hot, Krista!"

"Is heaven missing an angel?"

"I love you, Krista!"

Krista laughed once again, the sound like a pealing bell. "And I love you too! As a friend…" Krista added, holding up a finger in warning before the guy got any ideas.

There was only one man for Krista after all, and that was the big, buff captain of the football team, Reiner Braun.

As she turned her back, leaving the overly eager fanboy to lick his wounds, he dropped to his knees and cried to the sky. But not to worry: Krista was sure he would find a girl to love him back one day, and now she made her way to the science hall.

Once again, people opened the doors for her.

All eyes were on her. Unlike the guys playing football out on campus, these were the nerdy types who were too shy to speak to her, yet they still ogled all the same.

But Krista didn't mind. They can speak to her when they're ready, no rush.

She found the biology theatre at last, bumping into a nerdy, blond boy with black-rimmed glasses on her way inside. Pumpkin yapped, but Krista shushed the little dog, helping the boy up to his feet.

"I'm so sorry. I should look where I'm going."

The boy didn't look at her, not once; he just kept his head bowed, shivering and whimpering as if he was afraid of her, and Krista tried to get a glimpse of his face beneath that stylish He-Man haircut.

She glanced at his attire and chewed her lip. He certainly was very nerdy. A blue sweater vest and stripy, smart tie. And not to forget the brown checkerboard pants and brogues too. Not that the nerdy look wasn't "in" right now, but still… the boy was a little bit too much on the nerdy side.

He still wouldn't look at her, so Krista reached across and lifted his chin, and now she gazed into his shining blue eyes.

The boy whimpered even louder. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, don't be upset. After all, I was the one who bumped into you. Here…" Krista grabbed his books off the floor, all scientific subjects like physics and chemistry.

The blond boy blinked at her, amazed. "You're… not going to yell at me?"

"Of course not."

He still looked at her fascinated, and Krista smiled, holding her hand out. He took her palm, and now he towered above her.

Krista smiled. "What's your name?"

"A-Armin… Armin Arlert."

"Oh, such a handsome name. I'm Krista. Pleased to meet you."

Krista held out her manicured hand, and he shook it eagerly. His palm was sweaty.

"Yeah, I… I know… Everyone knows who you are. You're… kind of famous after all…"

Krista blushed at his compliment, tucking a stray strand of blonde under her beret. "Well, I wouldn't say famous… I'm just an ordinary girl like any other…"

Armin still regarded her with those widened eyes, and you would think he was looking at a real-life goddess; his glasses even looked as if they were steaming up. "No… nothing like any other girl at all…

Before Krista could reply, someone pushed her aside, and now she looked around at a tall, gangly woman who'd just entered the bio theatre.

Professor Hange Zoe.

The woman was a crackpot; she had ten pencils stuck inside her messy brown ponytail, and her lab coat was covered in soot.

Yet she was still one of Krista's favourite professors at the university, and now the sorority president eagerly took her seat at the front of class, taking out her fluffy pink notepad and pen.

Hange Zoe took her place behind the lectern, raising her hands for dramatic effect. "Behold, young, eager students of Sina University as I am about to teach you all about the wonders of science! Mwahaha! Moblit! Ready the slides!"

Moblit, the assistant professor, rushed to the back of class to set up the projector as Professor Hange Zoe pulled out jars of pickled titan eyes, placing them down onto a workbench for everyone to see.

Krista's heart pounded. They were going to learn all about titans again! Professor Hange's favourite subject as she had written many theses on the matter.

Although titans hadn't been seen in over a century, they were still a mystery to the human race, and many scientists like Professor Zoe had theorized that they could one day return to reclaim the land.

Sounded boring, but Krista lived for this stuff. She was a straight-A student; she had brains as well as cuteness.

A girl sitting on the row of benches behind her leaned forward next, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Krista, want a stick of gum?"

Krista sighed, turning around to stare at the tomboy behind her, Ymir.

The sharp-eyed girl slouched back in her seat wearing her stained Sina University hoodie. Her short, cropped hair was tied back in a greasy ponytail today.

Unlike Krista, Ymir was not popular or had any desire to be, but Krista still loved her regardless; they'd been friends since day one at Sina University, back when Krista was just a shy little freshman. But then Ymir had shown her the ropes, giving her a beer, and the rest is history...

"No, Ymir, you know I'm on an all-natural diet."

"But it's bubble-gum flavoured…"

The freckled face girl waved the pack of gum under Krista's nose, and the cute blonde gave in, taking a stick as she placed it into her mouth. Every boy in the room gave a collective breath. Even a few girls did too—Ymir especially.

Krista stopped, self-conscious all of a sudden. Why were they all staring at her?

Professor Hange coughed for everyone's attention, and the class focused on the hare-brained teacher once again as she showed them slides of titan footprints.

Although Krista loved the attention, sometimes it was hard to see whether people liked her for her, or they just liked what she represented.

Though Ymir seemed to care about her, and her sisters Sasha, Hitch, Mina, and Hanna too, but everyone else only seemed to care about "Krista".

If only they knew the real her, would they be so impressed then?

Ymir leaned forward to sniff Krista's hair, and the blonde just left her to it now, looking across the room, and that's when she noticed the new girl. The nerdy boy Armin was sitting beside her, watching Professor Hange's slides with keen eyes, but the dark-haired girl barely looked as if she was paying attention.

"Who's that?" Krista asked before she could stop herself, and Ymir finally stopped sniffing her hair, looking up at the new girl. A scowl formed across her freckled features.

"Mikasa Ackerman. She thinks she's so tough just because she's an Ackerman…"

"What's an Ackerman?"

"Only the most notorious family inside the walls. There are stories out there after all. Some say they're a family of psychopathic serial killers, and others say they're a part of the mafia. Whatever you do, Krista, don't go anywhere near her. I heard she's into goat sacrifices and all that creepy voodoo crap. A true freak of nature…"

Mikasa looked up at Krista and Ymir then, and it was a good job you couldn't kill with looks after all, because the daggers the dark-haired girl sent right now were deadly.

The cute blonde and the freckly faced tomboy stared at the mysterious Mikasa Ackerman, and the new girl truly looked as if she wanted to lay waste to the entire world.

Her eyes… So dark, so dangerous… Krista shivered. Pumpkin whimpered, hiding inside Krista's purse, and the poor little pup pooped herself.

Mikasa really was terrifying. Her short, black hair was tied up into a pair of pigtails, and her makeup was as black as coal. It ringed her eyes like a panda bear and covered her lips like licorice, and she truly did look like something from the underworld.

But she was beautiful. She was an exotic, eastern beauty, and she definitely had to be descended from the Eastern Clan.

Mikasa blew her bubble-gum, and its loud pop made Krista jump in her seat. She looked back to the front of class, trying to take in what Professor Hange said.

What a frightening girl and why was she staring at Krista like that? Everyone loved Krista, right?

But it was all good. Krista had her date with Reiner to look forward to after all as absolutely nothing would get in her way, and now she gave a wistful sigh, disappearing into daydream land.

She couldn't wait to be Mrs. Krista Braun…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. As you see, many characters made an appearance here. This is going to be a fun AU...
> 
> I will post again next week. See you then.


	3. The Pink Goddess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the sweet words and reviews. I can't thank you all enough for the support. It means the world.
> 
> Without further ado, I give you... Chapter III. A certain hitman meets a pink goddess...
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Beautiful by James Blunt. The song sounds romantic at first, but it's really about a guy who is as high as a kite on the subway, staring at some other guy's girlfriend. Kinda messed up, but... fitting...

Levi's white cigarette hung precariously from his dry, cracked lips as he stared at the black and white photograph of a young blonde woman.

Krista Lenz...

His newest target. Just a few days ago, Levi got a call from a mysterious man about the young fashion student, and not long after, he was sent a file containing all of her details.

The man gave no name, just that he wanted to see Miss Prom Queen buried six feet under. Also, he instructed Levi to make her death "Look like an accident".

For some strange reason, this beauty queen had a price on her head, and Levi couldn't fathom why. Although she may be an aggravating, high school cliché, she was hardly the criminal. Most calls he got were about hardened crime lords and drug dealers, not pretty little sorority girls in bright pink beret hats.

No, make that President Sorority Girl... Little Miss Prom Queen was the president of her sorority, performing all sorts of philanthropic work, like introducing vegetarian options at the school's dining hall, setting up the "Clean the School Campus Act", where hundreds of students would gather together to clean up all the trash on campus, and then Save a Puppy Foundation (where a student would save a puppy).

She'd even advocated for the school's Music and Arts Department to receive funding as it was seriously underfunded, and now her fellow students can realize their true, artistic potentials.

How fucking bittersweet.

Just a shame she had to die.

Why get attached, they say? She was just another job, and an excuse to get his hands dirty.

Levi hadn't dirtied them in a while, and he was getting pretty desperate to spill some blood. If his cold, calloused hands didn't cause blood to spill every now and again, then his demon would come out to play, and Levi's demon was not pretty.

So the annoying, saccharine beauty queen had to go.

She truly was a beauty with large, round blue eyes, full pink lips, and an easy smile, and for a moment, Levi almost didn't want to go through with the job.

No. Best not to think too much about it. She was just another target. Someone to be killed for the glorious paycheque.

Although Levi lived in a grand manor house, the Ackermans were secretly broke, so he needed the money. Hence why his late Uncle Kenny had managed to keep the estate afloat with all his dirty work over the years.

Not that Levi ever knew what his late uncle did for a living, yet still… The estate was his home now, his legacy, and Levi couldn't afford to see it go under.

The sooner the pretty blue eyes of Krista Lenz were shut forever, then the better for him and his surly Cousin Mikasa.

That brat really was trying him lately; she never lifted a finger around the house and would leave piles of dirty dishes for Levi to clean, and he was losing his patience.

No wonder the Jaegers kicked her out if she was this lazy.

Ash fell from the tip of his cigarette, burning the photographs in front of him. Levi tsked, stamping the butt out into a nearby crystal ashtray.

He was sat inside his late uncle's study as he leaned over an antique bureau, scattering Krista Lenz's photographs.

In one photo, she entered a nail salon, and in another, she held a latte in her hand as she walked her tiny dog on a lead, and Levi sighed, rubbing his temples.

He could kill her today and just get it over with. After all, she was worth three million, and it's not as if the girl knew how to lay low. In fact, she seemed to thrive off the attention as she flaunted herself in every photograph.

Levi leaned back in his leather recliner, pulling out another cigarette as he lit the end. Then he took a long drag, watching as the smoke curled through the air.

He really needed to consider quitting, but then the nicotine would soon call to him and he would succumb yet again.

A car pulled up outside, and Levi ground his teeth as the brat had returned from her class at Sina University.

His one and only pal Hange Zoe worked there as a professor, a crazy woman who he happened upon down in the underground city's black market when she was in search of some preserved titan teeth, and Levi shivered at the memory.

Although titan flesh was said to dissolve once the beasts were slain, remnants of their bones had survived over the years, but they could only be purchased from the underground city's black market. Only an insane person would be foolish enough to risk infuriating the government.

The government didn't like anything to do with titans, preferring to erase all memory of them, but Hange Zoe was relentless, and before she knew it, the Ministry of Walls caved to her constant requests, and in the end, they let her teach her very own class at Sina University.

Mikasa stormed up the stairs, running straight for her bedroom, and the moment she slammed the door behind her, she started blasting some heavy metal music.

Levi growled. The little bitch. If she's going to assault his auditory nerves with music, then she could at least play some opera. Sometimes, Levi liked to listen to opera and let his demon unwind, yet instead, he had to listen to that God awful satanic music.

Levi moved down the grim, shadowy corridor to her room. The words "Keep Out" had been etched into the blackened wood via a carving knife, and Levi gritted his teeth.

Who gave her permission to deface her door...

He banged on the door, and the music stopped. Then Mikasa's face appeared, dark and sinister as ever. "What?"

Levi bared his teeth, having to look up into her trash panda eyes as he was shorter than her. "Turn it down, will ya. I don't think the demons of hell can even get any sleep with you blasting that raucous music."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. "No."

Levi was about to reply, but then she shut the door in his face, blasting that demonic music again, and Levi's eye twitched.

One day, Levi would show her who was boss and kick her ass, but instead, he whirled away from her room and marched down the stairs. Then he barged out the front door, storming across the grounds.

He soon made it to the woods at the edge of the estate, stopping beside a crystal smooth lake, and now the calming water soothed his throbbing head.

Although it was the middle of summer, the Ackerman Estate seemed to be stuck in an eternal state of winter. The trees were devoid of life, their dead branches stretching towards a perpetually grey sky. There were no songbirds or animals, and it truly was eerie.

The only company he had was that of a beady-eyed crow, watching him upon the branch of a lonely tree. Another arrived, and then another, and soon a whole flock had gathered.

No wonder they called it a "murder of crows". There was just something so off-putting about those glossy black birds.

A chilly breeze swept up the seams of his jacket, permeating the white of his shirt, but Levi never felt the cold.

In fact, he welcomed it like an old friend as it froze his blood, giving him the resolve he needed to do his next job, and so, he released a breath from his lips, watching as he fogged the icy air.

Tonight. He would kill Krista Lenz and get his three million. Then he would do some much-needed repairs on the house.

…

It turned out that killing Krista would be harder than he thought.

The girl was seldom alone for long as he silently kept tabs on her from the shadows. He found her sorority, and it was almost as big as the Ackerman Manor. It gave Levi a silly idea.

Maybe he should rent the estate to college students to help with funds, and then he would have no choice but to listen to the sexy giggles of young women as they stayed up late into the night, having pillow fights in her PJs...

Levi shook his head. Where did that thought come from? Levi was not inclined that way. In fact, he had always been disgusted by men who were motivated by sex as he gritted his teeth.

It was just his demon, getting desperate for blood. After all, Levi's fascination with the human body went beyond the superficial; he only cared for the inner mechanizations of the flesh, discovering what it was that made human beings tick.

People truly eluded him, and at times, Levi was convinced that he wasn't even human, but an alien from a galaxy far, far away.

He certainly didn't feel like a normal human being today, and maybe he really did crash-land here thirty-plus years ago, taking the form of a young boy. There was just nothing natural about him, or any Ackerman for that matter.

Kenny had definitely never been normal, and Mikasa too, despite her creepiness.

A chorus of feminine giggles broke Levi out of his reverie, and now he cast his eyes toward the top floor of the building, finding his target.

Krista Lenz's room.

Slipping out of the bushes, Levi crept towards the building's fire escape, and before long he was hovering outside the window of Krista's room, lying in wait like a predator.

He wouldn't attack now; he would wait until she went to bed, and then he would break-in, making her death look like an accident. Maybe he could make it look as if she had fallen off the fire escape and plunged to her death.

Levi peered through the glass, wincing at the sight of all that pink. The colour was everywhere. It tainted the walls, and it tainted the carpet. It even tainted her toys, and Levi wanted to throw up.

She really was a fucking Barbie Girl, living in her Barbie World. There were posters of puppies all over her walls, and she even had a Princess Canopy bed. And was that a poster of a rainbow unicorn?

Tch.

Krista Lenz truly was sickly cute in every horrible way possible, and Levi wondered if her blood would spill just as sweetly.

Well, only one way to find out.

Levi spotted the girl in question, being pampered by a group of friends or 'sisters' as they like to say in a sorority, and Levi cursed himself for knowing such a fact.

The blonde kept her back to him as she sat before a vanity mirror, surrounded by various cosmetics. A girl with short, mousy hair curled Krista's locks with a styling wand, and her voice was like nails to a chalkboard.

"And then Marlow said to me, "I don't exactly like being partnered up with you either, Hitch," and then I told him to get a new haircut. He's such a stiff. Who put him on campus patrol, anyway, especially with that bowl cut. Ugh!"

Another girl laughed, nudging the mousy-haired girl in the ribs with her elbow, and this one had chestnut brown hair. She was also eating a hotdog covered in mustard and tomato ketchup as onions dripped all the way down her shirt.

Levi grimaced. So messy…

"Sounds like you got a crush on him, Hitch…" the gluttonous girl teased, taking another bite of her hotdog, and more onions poured down her white shirt.

Hitch glared at Messy Onion girl. "Watch it. Brause. You're already on thin ice, bringing that disgusting meat into Krista's room. You know she's a vegetarian!"

The girl called Brause laughed some more, taking another bite of her hotdog, and she really had no care in the world. "You're just pissed because you think Marlow is a "Tall Glass of Water…" Why else would you sign up for patrol duty?"

"Pff, I could say the same for you, goofing around with Connie Springer all over campus. You're both such dorks!"

Brause's brown eyes enlarged, and then a catfight ensued. That's when a pigtailed girl intervened as she applied blusher to Krista's cheeks. "That's enough, you two. You are ruining Krista's big night."

Hitch and Brause stopped, looking all guilty now. "Sorry, Mina."

The girl called Mina placed her hands on her hips. "It's Krista you should be apologizing to."

The two girls were about to apologize, but then Krista cut them off, and something strange came over Levi when he heard her voice for the first time.

"It's all right, Mina. How can I be mad? I'm just so excited. Tonight will be the night when Reiner finally proposes!"

Without warning, they all burst into a simultaneous scream, and Levi almost toppled over the fire escape. Their high-pitched sounds almost caused his ears to bleed.

What the fuck? Did they have to be so loud? The sooner he killed the bitch, the better, and then he can go back home to his evil manor, covered in her sweet blood.

Finally, one girl lying on the bed told them all to shut up, and Levi focused on her. Why hadn't he noticed her before? She was not at all like the others. In fact, she reminded Levi a little of him. Apart from the general grubbiness, they shared a similar vibe. It was just a look in those sharp eyes and her permanent scowl.

She also had freckles. Levi didn't have freckles...

"Pipe down! Even aliens can hear you bitches screaming!"

The girls turned to the tomboy, and the one called Hitch scoffed. "Whatever. Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be out somewhere, spitting loogies off of bridges or something?"

The freckled face girl glared at Hitch, but then Krista told them to knock it off. "That's enough. There's no need to be so mean, Hitch, and we're sorry, Ymir, but we're just so excited. I mean, it's Reiner… The captain of the football team!"

They all screamed again, and Levi was about to lose his nerves until the one called Ymir stopped them again.

"Yeah, I get it. A dream come true…"

Ymir almost seemed pissed, and there was another emotion, too. Jealousy. Was she jealous that she couldn't marry the captain of the football team? Or was it something else?

Before he could contemplate further, Krista interrupted again with her soft, feminine voice, and Levi's heart jerked at the sound.

Odd. It never did that.

"Now that my hair and makeup are all done, all I need now are the finishing touches. Hanna?"

A shy redhead looked up from the corner of the room, blushing bright pink, and now she moved to Krista's side, tying a necklace around Krista's neck. The girls started talking about a guy called Franz, and Levi wanted to puke.

Apparently, Hanna was madly in love with him, and Levi was getting fed up with all this gushy, feminine shit.

Not long now... It looked as if Little Miss Sunshine was leaving for a date soon, so she would be away from her friends. Then he would swoop in and kill her, making it look like an "accident" as requested by his mystery caller.

And then he would walk away with his huge wads of cash. Three million to be precise.

Ymir looked towards the window, and Levi ducked out the way, cursing himself for getting distracted. Yet, he couldn't help but be a little fascinated. He almost felt like a scientist, watching a group of chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

They were certainly a different species to him, that's for sure.

After a few beats, Levi dared another peek, and the freckled face girl only had eyes for Krista now. In fact, she wasn't the only one.

All eyes were on her, and Levi turned to the blonde. Out of nowhere, it felt as if someone had sucked all the air from his lungs. There a goddess stood, one wearing a figure-hugging dress of bright pink, and Levi almost forgot where he was, what he was supposed to do...

It turned out that the photographs hardly did Krista Lenz any justice after all because she was more than just your average beauty queen.

She was the literal embodiment of beauty and grace as she floated around the room, showing off her flawless figure for everyone to see, and Levi swore he was looking at an angel.

He never had any cause to believe in angels before, but now he finally had. Maybe Krista Lenz wasn't all that human too, just like him.

Yet unlike him, she didn't originate from the dark pits of Hell. She came from somewhere further beyond...

Heaven.

It looked as if his inner demon had finally met its match, and who would have guessed it would have taken the form of this pink-obsessed young woman.

Something squeezed on Levi's internal organs when he remembered what he was here to do, and now he gripped his chest, wondering what the hell was going on.

That three million suddenly didn't look so appealing anymore, and he closed his eyes, admonishing himself.

Killing her really wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I loved writing Sasha here, and Hitch and Ymir too.
> 
> I will see you all next time. I will post again sometime next week.


	4. Prom Queens Don't Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I can't thank you all enough for the feedback. I was of two minds whether to post this fanfiction because I didn't think anyone would be interested in an AU RivaHisu, but it seems there are more fans of this rare pair than I realised. Hopefully, the fandom for this small ship will grow in time...
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Prom Queen by Molly Kate Kestner. This song is perfect for Krista/Historia in this story. It was between Prom Queen by Molly Kate and Princesses Don't Cry by CARYS, so I named the chapter after both. Both songs fit.

Krista waved goodbye to her sisters, smiling sweetly as they all wished her good luck.

"Don't forget to turn on the waterworks…" Hitch called out.

"Oh, and make sure you eat plenty of breadsticks!" Sasha declared. "They're free!"

"Have a wonderful night, Krista. Reiner's so lucky. You look so beautiful!" Mina proclaimed.

"Oh, stop…" Krista gushed. "You're all bringing a tear to my eye."

"Have fun," Hanna said in her small, shy voice, yet you could hardly hear the adorable redhead over the others.

A cab waited for Krista at the end of the path, but she had a few moments to spare, so now she stopped to say her final goodbyes. What would she have done without her sisters tonight? They'd helped her to look so beautiful, and Krista would be eternally grateful.

Even Krista almost didn't recognise the girl looking back at her in the mirror. She looked like a goddess, literally, and Reiner really would be smitten when he laid his bronze eyes on her tonight.

Ymir rolled her eyes after Krista's fifth goodbye, and now the surly tomboy started dragging her towards the cab.

Krista protested. "Ymir!"

The freckled face girl scowled down at her. "Well, do you want to get to your date with lover boy? The cabbie won't wait all night."

That was true, but still. Ymir could be a little more considerate. It was a big night after all, and her sisters only wished her well.

Ymir reached the car, helping Krista inside, and now the blonde poked her head out the window. "Why did you even come tonight? You don't even like Reiner. You always say I could do so much better, yet here you are helping me to my cab. Why?"

The tomboy peered down at her for a moment, then shrugged, scratching the back of her head. "Who knows? While it's true I can't stand the bastard, I just had a bad feeling. Didn't want you out here walking by yourself."

Krista's heart swelled at her usually callous friend's kind, considerate words. "Oh, Ymir… that is so sweet. I never realised…"

Ymir sighed, throwing a couple of notes at the driver. "Just get her out of here, and keep the change."

The driver drove off at last, and now Krista looked out the rear window, watching as the figure of her friend vanished down the street. She sat forward again, glancing down at her ring finger. Thank goodness she had the foresight to take a trip to the nail salon. Her new ring would look so lovely on her polished finger.

Soon, she would be engaged...

…

Krista's stomach was filled with butterflies as the cab pulled up outside the restaurant. She stopped to take a deep breath, checking her makeup in her small compact.

Oh no... she had a SULA! (A Sweaty Upper Lip Alert). She knew she was nervous, but not that nervous. She had to fix herself up, quickly!

She started dabbing at her upper lip with her sponge, but then the driver said, "You look lovely, Miss. He will be head over heels when he sees you, don't worry…"

She looked up at the rear-view mirror, meeting the cabby's eyes, and smiled. "Why, thank you."

The kind man nodded his head, and now Krista finally climbed out of the car, glancing up at the fancy restaurant.

And fancy indeed.

Krista's heart pounded like a drum, a show of how utterly terrified she was. But then she plastered a wide smile across her face and sauntered up to the front doors, but deep down, she was petrified.

What... what if Reiner didn't like her dress?

Fancy men in suits held out the doors for her, and Krista bid them thanks, sucking in several deep breaths.

Everything would be fine. Reiner's heart will skip a beat for sure the moment he saw her in her tight dress, the one that hugged her in all the right places. It even gave her a bubble butt and narrow, sexy curves.

Just before she slipped into the building, she caught sight of a shadow in her peripheral vision and turned around. But it was gone. She swore she saw a… she didn't know what. A hooded figure?

Putting it out of mind, she entered through the glass doors, which the men still held out for her, doing a double-take.

Wow…

The foyer was beautiful. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling as paintings adorned the walls, and Krista's jaw hit the floor.

How on earth could Reiner afford this? He hadn't told her much about his upbringing, despite the fact they'd dated several years. All she knew was that his hometown was very far, far away, and he wanted to return there someday with his best pal Bertoldt, but still, he must have had some cash.

This was a five-star restaurant. Only the top government officials ate here, and the king and his entire counsel too, most likely.

Krista wasn't exactly broke. Her father paid for her tuition fees (and her living allowance too), a man she hadn't seen since her mother's death, yet still… she suddenly felt self-conscious.

What if they all judged her? The other guests looked so posh and sophisticated, not like Krista, who grew up on a farm.

Sure, her dress was five-hundred dollars, and her shoes three-hundred. Even her lingerie was pretty pricy, but Krista felt so out of place right now.

After all, she hadn't come from riches, being raised in secret on her father's estate, but that didn't mean she still couldn't enjoy herself.

Krista had every right to be here.

Besides, it just showed how much Reiner loved her, getting the best restaurant in town for their engagement, and if the restaurant was this beautiful, she couldn't wait to see the ring...

Holding back a squeal, she lifted her chin high and gave her name at the front desk. Then the host led her to the table as she took her seat, glancing over all the fancy silverware. The glass was made of real crystal, and she couldn't believe the extravagance that surrounded her.

There were other couples in the dining area too, and they all looked so happy. Krista sighed.

So romantic… She couldn't wait to look into the eyes of her very own beau as he should be arriving any moment (as it was one minute to eight). But then ten minutes passed, and then twenty, and soon it turned into half an hour.

By the forty-fifth minute, Krista was starting to get really worried. She hoped Reiner was okay. He most likely got caught up at football practice, nothing to worry about.

He wouldn't stand her up. Not cute little Krista; the girl everyone loved.

Krista looked around the room, spying those happy couples. One couple kissed, and another stared lovingly into each other's eyes. Then another guy got down on one knee, proposing to his girlfriend with a little black velvet box, and there were celebrations all around.

Krista was happy for them, but she couldn't stop the heavy feeling in her chest.

That was supposed to be her tonight…

No, it still could be. Reiner will show up. He was probably just running a little late.

That's when Krista's blue eyes found those breadsticks, and she chewed her lip. Although she promised Sasha she would eat some, Krista couldn't ruin her diet. Bread contained carbs after all, but one breadstick couldn't hurt, right?

Picking one up quickly, she nibbled on the end like a beaver chewing wood, and soon the whole thing was gone. Then she took another breadstick, and then another, and before she knew it, she'd had six whole breadsticks.

Why did they have to be so delicious?

Just as she was nibbling on her seventh breadstick, there came the sound of a familiar voice by the front desk, and now Krista shoved the whole thing into her mouth like a tiny hamster.

She could almost cry for joy; it was Reiner...

He came. Just like he promised.

The buff blond rushed towards the table, panting for breath as he sat down opposite her. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Krista, but I'm here now… don't worry…"

She beamed. "It's okay. You made it. Besides, I could never be mad at you for long..."

She grabbed his large hand and squeezed it tight, and that's when the muscled blond glanced the other way.

Krista removed her hand again. Was it something she said?

Reiner seemed to be at war with himself as he closed his eyes, and Krista was confused. Honestly, she had noticed he had been acting rather odd lately, and at times, it was like he had two personalities.

One personality was the fun-loving captain of the football team. Everyone's go-to guy. Reiner was the perfect big brother, always dishing out girl advice for his fellow frat boys, especially Bert, who had his eye on that strange Leonhardt girl, the one who always kept to herself. She even attended some of Krista's classes, never paying attention to what the professors said as she gazed out the window.

Krista should really ask poor Annie to sit with her one day, but the girl maintained her distance, too afraid to let anyone in. It was almost as if she was afraid of making friends.

But Reiner was an open book. What you see is what you get, well, until recently…

What happened to him?

It could be the stress. Coach Shadis had them training extra hard with the final match coming up. Sina University would be going head to head with Rose Academy.

"Reiner? What's wrong? Speak to me."

After a few silent beats, the blond glanced up, and his bronze eyes were warm and affectionate. There was the man Krista knew, the one she'd fallen for.

"It's fine, Krista. I just feel so lucky to be here. I can't believe I bagged myself the cutest girl at school. Look at you..."

Krista blushed, hiding her face away from him all coy-like. Hitch had told her that men find shyness alluring.

Hitch knew a lot about boys it seemed, since she went on nearly a million dates every week, but never with Marlow. A shame.

Krista thought Hitch and Marlow made a cute couple.

"Oh, stop…" she said, flicking back her blonde curls.

"No, really. The day I first saw you, do you know what I thought?"

Krista's heart thumped, and she cleared her throat. "I'm listening…"

Reiner fixed his bronze eyes on her blue pair, gazing deep into her soul, and then he said loud and clear, "Someday… I've gotta marry that girl..."

Krista almost choked as she couldn't believe she was hearing the words from his handsome lips, and she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths.

She couldn't believe it. All her dreams were about to come true…

Krista would become Mrs. Krista Braun.

Any moment, he will pop out a black velvet box, showing her a massive 24 karat gold diamond ring, and she couldn't wait.

Any moment now...

Reiner sat back in his seat, fixing his tie as it looked as if it had been thrown on the last minute, then picked up a menu. "Well, let's order, shall we?"

Krista's hopes shattered, and she couldn't help but pout. Not to look like a spoilt princess, but she really hoped for a moment that he would propose.

Well, never mind. Suppose Reiner will still propose to her after dinner.

Reiner ordered a huge medium rare steak while Historia got a vegetarian Caesar salad, and the food was sublime. As it should be at nearly three hundred dollars each.

They did order a few side dishes too, and drinks, but Reiner was treating her tonight. No worries.

After they had eaten, they both leaned back in their seats and sighed, and Krista's belly had never felt so full.

She also just finished her third glass of wine, and she was getting a little tipsy. Krista had to be careful. She had a nine am lecture tomorrow and it had already gone ten thirty (well past her bedtime). Krista was normally in bed by nine o'clock, wearing her favourite silk eye mask and PJs, while cuddling her unicorn plush Sparkles.

Silence stretched between them as Reiner seemed to be lost in thought, and he was acting odd again.

Krista sat up, taking his balled-up fists in her hands. "Reiner?"

A heavy sigh left the male blond, and now he looked her straight in the eyes, and his bronze had hardened. That was when Krista noticed that he hadn't touched any of the wine, and she let go of his fist, a bad feeling in her stomach.

"I just had a bad feeling…" Ymir had said to her earlier outside the cab, and Krista gave a shuddery breath.

Somehow, her dream was slipping further and further away, and before she could stop it, a lone tear escaped her eye.

"Krista…"

She squeezed her eyelids now, knowing she was ruining her makeup, but she didn't care.

The happy couples all around her seemed to mock her now as she held back a sob, not wanting to embarrass herself or Reiner.

He continued. "I'm sorry, but it's ov—"

"Don't... don't say it... please..."

Reiner froze, and for a moment his hardened face almost betrayed him as he wouldn't take his sad, bronze eyes off her. But the moment passed, and just like that, he was a different person again, the one that always fought for precedence over his mind.

That friendly captain of the football team was no more.

The words came crashing down like a waterfall, drowning her in grief and sorrow of the likes she had never experienced before. Not even her mother's death had hit her this hard, and Krista couldn't help herself then. A squeal burst from her lips, and now the whole restaurant turned silent.

Reiner had never looked so horror-struck. "K-Krista…"

She didn't give him time to finish. She just got up and left that awful restaurant, stumbling over her heels in a bid to escape.

This couldn't be happening, not to her...

Everyone loved her after all; she had worked so hard to ensure that she was the most lovable person in the world, yet it was still not enough.

Reiner still didn't love her, just like her mother had never loved her too.

"Krista!" he called out after her, yet she never looked back. She burst out the front doors then rushed down the street, trying to put her horrible night behind her.

It all had to be a dream. Any moment, she would wake in her bed, Pumpkin licking her face as she got ready for class.

None of this was real…

Yet why could she taste vomit?

Dashing down a side street, Krista threw up her wine and Caesar salad, and it really was real…

These awful things really were happening to her, and why?

She was the good girl, president of her sorority, and friend to all animals. She… deserved better than this.

Better than Reiner.

"Krista!"

She heard him calling for her, yet Krista kicked off her heels and rushed down the alleyway until his voice became distant. What did he care? He never loved her, so he can stop pretending as if he was actually worried about her.

Krista could make her own way home, thank you.

The university wasn't far from here.

Yet the deeper she ran down the long, winding alleyway, the darker it became, and before she knew it, she was lost.

Lost and all alone.

Pressing her back to the wall, Krista threw her hands over her eyes and wept. Wept for a man who never loved her.

He really was a pig.

Her feet were sore, and she was pretty sure she had stepped on glass. She was also cold as she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm.

There was rotten garbage everywhere, and it smelled awful, but Krista wouldn't leave until she was sure Reiner was gone.

Sooner or later, he would give up trying to find her. Give up pretending that he actually cared...

And just think, Krista had been so excited, letting her sisters fuss about her all night as they did her makeup, and now she held back another sob at the thought of their faces.

She couldn't face them. She couldn't face the university…

Everyone will know now that she got dumped by Reiner Braun, and she will become a laughing stock.

No more Little Miss Popular.

An image she had fought so hard to procure, and now it had cruelly been snatched away from her. After all, what was a prom queen without her prom king?

There came a shuffle next, and Krista bolted upright, looking up and down the alleyway. She was alone, but she swore she heard something.

Unless it was a rat.

Ew…

It was best she tried to find her way home. This alleyway had to end somewhere. Then when she reached the street, she could call a cab.

Rising shakily to her bare feet, Krista walked the rest of the way down the alleyway, tiptoeing around pools of questionable liquid as best as she could.

That was when the noise started again, and before she could turn, someone jumped down from a fire escape above, landing on the ground behind her, and now she felt the warm breath of a man at the back of her neck.

"Scream and I will cut your throat."

A cold knife pressed against her throat, and now Krista's entire life flashed before her eyes.

She was going to die…

Before she could stop herself, a crazed laugh escaped her, and now her manic cackle bounced off the walls, almost scaring her poor attacker behind her, but who cares.

She wasn't afraid of death.

Bring it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuzco voice from the Emperor's New Groove: "Bring it on..."
> 
> Movie references: SULA is from Wild Child. Also, the whole chapter is inspired by Warner's dumping of Elle in Legally Blonde, especially when he made her squeal out loud in front of the whole restaurant. He deserved it.
> 
> Both Reiner and Warner are pigs...
> 
> Such an intense chapter. Will Krista survive? And who is the mysterious man who attacked her in the alleyway?
> 
> Tune in next week to find out.


	5. The Wolf and the Rabbit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Last chapter was intense, and this one will be even more intense...
> 
> Are you ready?
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: I know I'm a Wolf by Young Heretics. This is such a sad song about a wolf who tries to befriend a rabbit after chasing it down in a snowy field, but in the end... well, the rest speaks for itself. I thought the song fit Levi and Historia in this chapter down to a tee, hence why I named this chapter "The Wolf and the Rabbit."
> 
> A shout out to xGarnetXVI for showing me this gem of a song.

Levi almost lost his shit when Krista laughed, making him lose his hold over her, but only just; he was still in control.

What the fuck? He didn't expect her to make a sound like that. She sounded so warped and distorted, nothing at all like the sweet, sunny girl he'd watched from the shadows...

He soon regained his composure, finding her cackling more of an annoyance than a hindrance right now as he growled into her ear, "Shut up!"

And just like that, she stopped. Now a silent wind drifted down the long, dirty alleyway, blowing the seams of his cape.

Tch, figures he would have ended up cornering her in a disgusting alleyway. It was so clichéd, but at least they were alone.

Now Levi wouldn't have to worry about witnesses. Not that he ever had to worry before, always being so careful and vigilant.

Leave no trace, make it look like an accident…

Well, there was nothing accidental about a knife to the throat, but she did just get dumped. Who's to say she wouldn't have ended up killing herself?

If he left the knife by her dead body, he could make it look like suicide. He was wearing gloves, so he wouldn't have to worry about leaving fingerprints.

There was nothing accidental about suicide either, but she really left him no choice.

She should know better than to run off alone down dirty, dark alleyways. Does she not watch slasher movies?

How sad. To be murdered on the night she got dumped.

Looked as if Barbie really was having the worst night of her life, but it will all be over for her soon…

Levi would make her death quick and painless. And then when he was finished, he would collect his three million and do some much-needed repairs on the manor.

It rained in the attic now.

Yet, why couldn't he move his hand? All he had to do was slice her pretty neck, and then little miss prom queen would be no more…

Just one slice.

His arm started shaking, and Levi's eyes expanded. What... why couldn't he kill her?

Fuck, it shouldn't be this hard. He had done this a thousand times already.

Krista's wheezy breathes severed through his skull like a hacksaw, a shrill, pitiful sound. Yet all he had to do was cut her neck, and the sound would stop.

Just cut.

Cut!

The young woman shivered in his cruel embrace, her heart thumping throughout her entire body. However, despite her blatant fear, she tried to steal a quick glimpse of him, yet Levi forced her gaze forward.

"Eyes forward."

"P-please... d-don't... don't kill me..."

Now it was Levi's turn to laugh. "Don't find it so funny anymore, hey? Finally grasped how much real danger you're in...? Dying's no laughing matter, you know..."

The girl answered with silence, and Levi laughed for a second time, sickened by the evil, twisted sound coming out of his own mouth. It was like he was enjoying this, which he wasn't. Truth be told, he felt... nothing. No joy, no sadness, no guilt. Just emptiness. After all, she was just another job, yet his hand still wouldn't move...

Blondie's distorted laugh echoed back to him. It was obviously a desperate laugh, a cry for help, and now the lonely sound will haunt Levi for the rest of his days.

It was almost as if she had wanted to die. It seemed that she'd no longer cared that her precious life would be cruelly snatched away by the likes of Levi, a cold-blooded murderer, and she truly was more than meets the eye.

Who would have thought that Tinkerbell was secretly depressed beneath all that pretty blonde charm? Levi knew that sweet act had all been a farce.

No one smiles like that all of the time. It was unnatural, and quite frankly, a little creepy. But her demons will die with her soon enough, and then she won't have to be so depressed anymore.

She can finally stop living a lie and set herself free of her wretched existence. No more perfect sorority, and no more fake smiles. Just cold, empty nothingness...

Oblivion.

Hopefully, Levi will meet her there too one day when his own life finally comes to its miserable end. And then they will no longer have to feel any pain.

Dying is easy they say, but living is hard.

Levi was only doing her a kindness; he could see that now. Take her life, but not for the sole purpose of money. Do it because it was the only way to end her suffering.

He took a deep breath, pressing the knife closer to her neck, and a helpless squeak left her lips. He sighed. "I'm sorry, but someone out there wants you dead, and I've been the one tasked with ending your life."

White puffs of mist escaped Krista's mouth, and it really was a crying shame. Despite how miserable she may be deep down, she still had so much life in her, and Levi was going to snuff it out.

Soon the short, warm-bodied woman before him would be a cold corpse bleeding out on the floor, and she truly was short, even shorter than him. The top of her blonde head only reached his chin.

A cool wind brushed between the two of them next, and he caught the sweet scent of coconuts. It looked like blondie used coconut oil in her hair to achieve that ultra-softness.

Levi's hair, meanwhile, was greasy and dry at the ends.

A shame she has to be taken out by such an ugly little hobgoblin, a beautiful, pure thing who smells of coconuts…

They truly were of two different worlds. Yin and yang, black and white, chalk and cheese. Yet they were also similar too. Levi heard it inside that desperate laugh of hers, that sad, lonely child who just wants to be loved...

Yes, living was hard, but was dying truly better?

Just... what if there was more to life than just being sad, lonely, and unloved?

In fact, he almost felt a glimpse of such a life when he first laid eyes on her in that pretty pink dress, and when he sniffed her coconut hair just now...

Krista may be depressed, but she still shined with a light that could even put the sun in the sky to shame.

Not all of it was a farce. Some of it was natural, and Levi grimaced when something twisted on his gut.

Why did she have to fit so perfectly against his chest, like the missing piece of a puzzle he had been searching for his whole life?

Darkness still needs light after all...

Levi squeezed his eyes, cursing silently.

Fuck. After all these years, after all the necks he had sliced, Levi had suddenly developed an emotion that always eluded him...

A conscience.

So ridiculous. He would laugh if the situation weren't so fucked up.

No, he had to get over himself. He was going to do this, whether he liked it or not. He would end her life and collect his three million.

Maybe then his darling little cousin Mikasa would finally crack a smile once he cleared the rot in her bedroom wall.

Krista was limp in his arms now, and it seemed she had finally accepted her fate. Her heart still pounded, reminding Levi of the precious life that was still inside her. He shut his eyes, grinding his teeth.

It didn't help that her breath felt warm and wet on his hand, and the more Levi resisted, the more his hardened resolve cracked.

One that had taken him years to build, well, until this perfect little Barbie came along.

"Sh-shit..."

The girl tensed, turning to look at him. Levi didn't stop her this time. Besides, he was wearing a hood. She wouldn't see his features.

"If... if you're going to kill me... j-just do it already... d-don't make me wait..."

God. Her voice really was angelic. While Levi's was deep and coarse from all his years of smoking.

Well, if she wants to die so much. Who was Levi to deny her that wish?

"If you insist..."

Krista sucked in a sharp breath, bracing herself for the worst, but then Levi shoved her roughly aside as she collapsed on all floors. Her hands and knees landed in a pool of yellow, smelly piss, but it sure beats bleeding out in a pool of your own blood.

That three million slipped further and further from his fingers as he backed away into the shadows, watching that beautiful young woman as she clutched her neck.

Her perfect azure eyes flew up to his next, and with a swift turn of his heels, Levi swept away into the shadows, his cloak billowing behind him.

Now Krista Lenz would live to see another day after all, and how bittersweet…

Tch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like Levi never took Krista's life in the end. Are you surprised? Was there a point when you thought he would actually take that knife, and, well... It didn't help that I used "I know I'm a Wolf" for inspiration, so sorry about that. The wolf didn't kill the rabbit in this scenario.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you are all pleased with the outcome. This one was intense to write.
> 
> See you all again next week. I've written about 20k words of this story by now, and let me tell you... it is intense.


	6. The Janitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! How have you all been? Anyone read chapter 138? So intense... I won't spoil in case no one has yet.
> 
> One of the reasons why I am posting today rather than Friday because 138 left me boggled, but posting will be every weekend, give or take a day.
> 
> Once again, thank you all for the continued support. The community for this ship is the best.
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Play Date by Melanie Martinez. This song is a perfect blend of sweet and sour. Really suits Hisu singing to Reiner. There is swearing...

Krista stayed in her room all of the time now.

The moment she got back to the dorms, she locked herself in her room, changed into her Unicorn PJs, and then buried herself under her pink sheets.

She only got up to pee or to take Pumpkin for an early morning stroll, but the rest of the time, she stayed in bed.

Even her sisters couldn't coax her out of her room anymore with strawberry ice cream (Krista's favourite), or endless re-runs of Titanic (also Krista's favourite).

She skipped classes and parties, and she didn't even shower anymore…

Gossip spread worse than forest fire at Sina University, and it turned out that the entire school found out about Reiner dumping her. Not that they weren't bound to find out anyway, but still… it hurt.

Yet Krista found that she seldom cared. Even though she was showing all the classical signs of grief, Krista had not shed a tear.

It all happened after that man had creeped out from the shadows, pressing his knife to her throat; it was as if someone had cleared away the cotton candy clouds, bringing her back to earth.

What Krista had mourned for wasn't love after all, but a notion. Krista had worked her ass off to give herself the perfect life, with the perfect boyfriend, the perfect friends, and the perfect clothes, and just like that, it had all been snatched away from her.

Krista could see it with perfect clarity now, and it looked as if she truly had been living in a pink, glorious haze the last four years.

Reiner had never been in love with her, and Krista had never been in love with him. What they'd had was a professional relationship, the star couple of the show.

After all, everyone had been pining for the homecoming king and queen to get together from day one, and now it was all over.

And Krista surprisingly felt okay about that. They say grief comes in many stages, but does the acceptance stage come that quick? The day after a breakup?

Reiner had been her first serious relationship (not counting the cute boy she used to steal kisses with at the back of the farm), but Krista had never had what she liked to call 'movie love'. Sure, she knew that most movies were written to appeal to a wide audience, but Krista still had a lot of hope that such a love could exist.

Was it possible to feel your heart skip a beat by just looking at someone? Could there truly be someone out there for Krista who made her weak at the knees and giggle like a silly schoolgirl?

She used to blush and giggle around Reiner, but it had all been an act. He may be delicious man candy, but Reiner never made Krista's heart skip a beat; he never made her palms sweat or her lungs feel as if they were going to burst.

Reiner had never once made her feel breathless. He'd just made her feel… normal.

How could she have been so blind? After four years, Krista had finally opened her eyes.

And it was all thanks to that hooded figure.

As depressing as being dumped by Reiner was, it never would have compared to the horror of losing her life.

She had found her true self again, the one who used to stare at the distant hills back at her Daddy's farm, wondering when her Mummy would finally come home.

She didn't want to die in that cold, dark alleyway. From the moment he placed his cold knife to her throat, Krista's life flashed before her eyes. She saw the faces of her friends and her sweet little puppy, Pumpkin, and the thought of never seeing them again was ten times worse than being dumped by Reiner Braun.

Life was precious and meant for living. If he had taken her life, then Krista never would have felt the joy of walking barefoot on the grass ever again.

Krista wanted to live, and from this day onwards, she was going to make every moment count.

So no more sulking around in her stained unicorn PJs, eating nothing but pizza and ice cream. Krista was going to seize the day...

Throwing her bedsheets off of her legs, Krista stomped over to her bathroom, and coming face to face with the girl on the other side of the mirror.

Oh my. It was worse than she thought...

Krista really had let herself go.

Her face was stained with pizza sauce. Her topknot was tangled, and her PJs were a mess, and plus, she smelled really, really bad.

How could she go from hottie to nottie in a mere matter of days? And now she knew with a certainty that it was time for some serious change.

Krista would get out of this room and show the world that she was back and bigger than ever.

Even if she had to face Reiner, who cares? She will make him regret the day he dumped her, the queen of campus.

A queen doesn't need a king after all. She can rule her own kingdom…

But Krista wouldn't rule with an iron fist. No. She was a kind and gentle queen, making the world a better place.

The school needed her. Who else would start a campaign for the school's underfunded art's department, or save all those poor, orphaned shelter puppies from a life of misery?

Stripping down until she was buck-naked, Krista stepped into her shower and washed away all the filth that had gathered over her body the last few days. She cleaned the pizza sauce from her face, and massaged coconut shampoo into her hair, letting the hot, running water soothe her spirit.

Then when she finished showering, she brushed her teeth, shaved her underarms and legs, then moved on to her vanity, getting to work on her makeup.

Before long, she was looking like her old self, the sweet girl everyone loved.

Reiner would be sorry, yet she wasn't doing this for him. She was doing this for herself, and the school…

Her sisters had told her that the school had fallen into a deep depression the day she buried herself away from the world. No one smiled anymore, and it was like a dark cloud settled over campus.

Yet not to worry, their sunshine would soon return.

Now looking all pink and pretty once again, Krista glanced at herself in the mirror and smiled. She even winked at her reflection, twirling around in her pink flirty skirt. She wore her favourite beret too, and the gloves to match.

Grabbing her purse, she leaned down so Pumpkin could jump inside, and the little toy Pomeranian happily obliged.

"Are you excited to go outside again, Pumpkin?" Krista asked the adorable little dog, and she yapped.

Krista gushed. "Me too, Pumpkin, me too. Well, let's go."

Giving herself another wink for good luck, Krista marched out of her room and down the corridor, and everyone was shocked to see her looking and smelling so sweet again.

"Krista? You're back!"

Krista giggled. "I am, and this time I'm here to stay…"

There were cheers all around, and a few girls even wept for joy at the sight of their princess, and it seems the campus really did need her after all. She truly was their sunshine, and although it was a heavy burden to possess, Krista didn't mind.

She would be their sunshine, so long as it made them happy.

And just think, she had that hooded figure in the alleyway to thank. He had shown her what it truly meant to be alive again. Though not directly, but that wretched, ominous man had given her a new zest for life, and she would be eternally grateful.

Although he may have helped her, she could gladly live a thousand lifetimes before she ever had to lay eyes on his cold, grey eyes again.

They were all she could see beneath that dark cowl, but before she got a second look at his face, he disappeared, taking his dark, gloomy energy with him.

Those eyes had filled her dreams every night since the attack, and the sound of his coarse, listless voice. So unfeeling and cold, and despite herself, Krista shivered.

Now that was a sad, lonely person. His only joy in life was to hurt others. Any way to escape his own miserable existence. The only way he found happiness was when he was harming others, and Krista truly pitied him.

How awful that he felt the need to stamp out her light. He must have been a really unhappy individual.

Thank God he didn't go through with it in the end, deciding to spare her life instead.

Just what had changed his mind? Krista could recall begging him to hurry up and take her life at one point, and she couldn't believe she had been so willing to die, to let that monster hurt her…

He'd hesitated, and his arm wouldn't stop shaking. It seemed he didn't want to kill her, and it was almost like he was being forced by something greater than himself.

He had said that someone wanted her dead, tasking him with the sole duty of ending her life.

Then... who on earth wanted her dead?

Krista took a seat on an empty bench, breathing in the fresh air. The sun shone down from a beautiful azure sky, filling her heart with hope.

Life truly was for living. No more taking things for granted.

Yet her good mood soon vanished once a dark shadow blocked her sunlight, and now she gazed up into a familiar pair of steely eyes.

Pumpkin growled at the stranger.

Her heart screamed, telling her to run for her life, but then Krista relaxed when she realised it was just the janitor.

Thank goodness.

He was new, having just started a week ago. Krista had seen him around the dorms, a silent, mysterious man, always wearing his blue face mask.

She often wondered what his face looked like.

"Oh, you gave me a fright. Pumpkin, stop."

Her dog wouldn't stop. Granted, she growled at most people since little dogs tend to view everyone as a threat. They have to make up for what they lack in size for fierceness, and Pumpkin was plenty fierce.

But Krista's toy Pomeranian was especially growly today, looking like a mean little teddy bear.

The janitor wouldn't take his steely eyes off her, and she hoped she still didn't have pizza sauce on her face.

Regardless, Krista maintained her smile, the one everyone loved, but after a while, her face started to tic, and she wondered when the janitor would smile back.

All he did was stare at her, like he was assessing her very worth, and Krista was starting to get a little worried.

"Is… there something wrong?"

The strange janitor wouldn't stop with those lifeless grey eyes, and Krista remembered that can of mace Ymir gave her that one time. It sat inside her pocket.

He wouldn't attack her in broad daylight, would he?

She gave him a quick once over. His charcoal uniform wasn't the most cheerful of colours, but she had never seen a cleaner suit.

Not a grease or stain in sight. He was rather clean for a janitor.

Before she could read his name tag, he crossed his arms, saying in a low, monotone voice. "That bench is filthy. I need to clean it."

Krista glanced left and right. It wasn't. Apart from a little pigeon poop, the bench was spotless. Although some overgrown child had drawn a man's willy on one of the wooden beams. Probably one of Reiner's frat boys—Jean or Connie.

Regardless, she jumped to her feet to let the man do his job, and at once he got to work, slipping on a pair of latex gloves. Then he started concocting a strange formula from his cart then scrubbed away at that pornographic graffiti, and Krista stared impressed.

"Wow, that's amazing. You got it all off! You know, I should really start a petition at this school. No more graffiti on the campus benches—"

"You're blocking my light."

Alarmed, Krista stepped aside, deflated. He didn't have to rudely cut her off, but if it weren't for him, the school would be a mess. Since he'd started, there was hardly any litter on campus, and he truly was an angel sent from above.

Now Krista and her fellow students can learn in a clean environment.

"Well, I hope you get that awful artwork off. The boys at this school… so childish."

The man ignored her, rubbing meticulously at the bench, and soon that gratuitous graffiti vanished. Krista breathed a sigh.

Finally. A clean bench to sit on.

Krista stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder, and the janitor turned her way slightly.

She really wished she could see his face. She bet he was very handsome, albeit on the small side. He was only a few inches taller than her after all, but Krista did have heels on. In reality, she was much shorter.

"Thank you, for all your hard work. The school has never been so clean."

Again, he said nothing, keeping his eyes downcast.

Then he finally looked up, and Krista noticed the slight shine to his grey eye. "Don't mention it."

He returned to his task, and that must be the end of their conversation.

Next, she placed her bag over her shoulder, then clicked her heels down the path. All the while, she could feel those penetrating, steel-like eyes, and turned around.

The janitor watched her leave, but when he caught her gaze, he returned to the bench, and Krista studied him carefully.

She was sure she'd seen those eyes somewhere before...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a chapter indeed...
> 
> Anyone read the AU High School caste of Attack on Titan? Bear that in mind... :D
> 
> See you all next week


	7. The Wings of Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. A few familiar faces will appear in this chapter. The chapter title may give you a hint...
> 
> Song inspired for this chapter: Every Breath You Take by The Police. This song is allegedly about stalking but I am using it here because Levi is kinda lowkey stalkerish... But I suppose his heart is in the right place...

It wasn't until she'd vanished behind a copse of sycamore trees when Levi finally looked up, watching that small pink dot of Krista Lenz disappear.

She was even prettier in daylight. The way the sun reflected off her golden halo of hair, and danced off the blue of her eyes…

Levi shook his head and continued scrubbing the bench, and before long that cartoon dick disappeared.

It was graphic in detail with a pair of hairy balls and cum dripping from the tip, and college kids really were disgusting creatures. Levi had no idea why he even took up the job.

His good friend Hange Zoe had called him about a janitorial role at the school, and seeing as he had decided to throw away three million dollars by letting the sweet Krista Lenz live, he'd thought, "Why the fuck not…"

Although the wages were crap, and wouldn't even begin to cover half of his expenses, it gave him something to do. Even though he had cleaned way more shit than he was comfortable with, Levi was in his element.

Cleaning was a pastime for him, and a way to take his mind off of things.

But it didn't help when the object of his most unwanted thoughts was sitting all pretty on a bench in the middle of campus.

Krista had been MIA since he'd started a week ago, and the whole school was gossiping about her. Levi would catch little snippets of conversation here and there in the hallways.

"I heard Reiner left her all alone at the restaurant and made her pay the whole bill. Tips included!"

"Well, I heard that Krista had thrown her glass of diet cola in his face, then stormed off crying. Then she got kidnapped and replaced with a clone..."

Levi had almost snapped his broom in half at the sound of their insipid gossip.

How he hated people and their lowly gossip. The girls were worse than the boys, but that didn't stop every guy from staring at Krista just now as she walked across campus.

She was single now after all, meaning she was available.

Over Levi's fucking dead body. He didn't pass up three million dollars just so every fuck boy could have their way with her.

Truth be told, Levi had taken up the job so he could keep a special eye on her. Someone wanted her dead and was willing to pay a very handsome reward in the process. So Krista wasn't safe.

It would be a crying shame if someone put those pretty blue eyes out. The rainclouds that had gathered over the school the last few days had all but cleared. From the moment Krista showed her smiling face, the sun came out, and there were rainbows all around.

Even when she walked off with that growling furball inside her bag just now, she seemed to be surrounded by light. He swore bluebirds followed her at one point.

She was like some living deity, and once again, Levi wondered who on earth would want such a harmless girl dead.

Nothing added up. She was hardly the threat…

Levi would keep secret tabs on her, only out of curiosity. The moment he suspected something suspicious, he would move in.

Once the bench was squeaky clean, he got behind his wheeled contraption and rolled towards the next. Cleaning benches wasn't in the job description, but what else was Levi supposed to do? Krista was right; This school was full of shit. The literal and the figurative kind.

As he wheeled his cart along the footpath, he caught sight of a tall silhouette inside the window of an ivy-covered building, its glowing blue eyes trained solely on him.

Dean Erwin Smith… An interesting yet albeit eccentric man.

The blond man had asked Levi all sorts of strange questions when he'd interviewed him for the job, questions about "seeking freedom" and "paving the way for humanity", and Levi had never been so confused.

He had just come for a janitor position. Why the hell did he need to tell the man about his desire to "push forward" and "seek the truth", whatever that meant.

What an oddball. The vice-dean had been there too, a tall, broad man with shaggy blond hair by the name of Mike Zacharias, and they really were a weird bunch.

Even Hange appeared at one point with that typical gleam in her crazy, bespectacled eyes, and that's when things got very bizarre.

His mind wandered back to his job interview, and he had been in no way prepared for the man's dreaded curveball question: "So, Levi… if you were attacked by, let us say, a ten-metre titan approaching from the left flank of a hypothetical long-distance scouting formation, how would you proceed?"

Dean Smith leaned forward in his leather wingback seat, tenting his hands into a steeple shape. Mike and Hange stood behind him, watching with silent awe, and Levi swore his tongue swelled twice its size.

How the hell was he supposed to answer that? Ten-metre titan? A hypothetical long-distance scouting formation? Tch.

And what was with Hange's lab coat? He ought to stitch that up for her some time; it was covered in soot holes.

"Well, I guess I'd find a way to create a diversion. I would have one of my teammates act as bait while I snuck up from behind, immobilizing the rotator cuff muscles of its back somehow. That way it wouldn't be able to move its humerus bone, and then I could swoop in and cut its nape…"

Levi didn't have to tell them why he knew that immobilizing the rotator cuff muscles could inhibit movement of the arms. An underground thug was no different from a ten-metre titan in this scenario. Both were large and both were bullies.

All three of them stared with widened eyes. Hange almost looked as if she was about to burst.

Erwin's blue eyes were aglow. "So, would you say that you work well in a team?"

Levi mentally sighed. Of course a teamwork question would crop up.

Honestly, Levi didn't work all that well in a team. He was a lone wolf through and through. He didn't need anyone, and no one needed him. Perfect.

The last time he'd worked in a team, well, his two best friends were killed by gangsters at a shootout. But that was back in the underground…

Furlan and Isabel were a distant memory these days, and he would like to keep it that way.

He hated opening up all wounds.

His best bet was to lie through his teeth, Something Levi despised, but he needed the job. A shame he couldn't just tell the truth and say, "Look, Dean Eyebrows, I just need the job so I can pay my rent".

Fuck all these curveball and teamwork questions…

At least the man didn't start with the classic, "So, tell me about yourself?"

Talking about himself was Levi's worse nightmare.

Levi cleared his throat and looked the dean square in his shiny blue eyes, reciting Hange's words when they practiced in her lab earlier, "Maintain good eye contact".

Yet he hated every moment of having to look into those burning azure irises. They seemed to cut straight through his very worth like a pair of blades, baring his soul for all to see, but he still gave the man his answer.

"I would say I am efficient in a team, yes."

That was the best he could come up with, and it looked like he wasn't going to get the job after all. Even though he was applying for a paltry minimum wage position, he was expected to give his entire life story to see if he was "Sina University material".

What utter bullshit. Fuck teamwork and fuck people.

There was no I in team, but there was an I in Levi, and Levi liked to work alone.

He didn't smile, and he didn't make small talk. Most of all, he didn't make up bullshit lies about his ability to work in a team.

Erwin Smith contemplated his words, tapping a finger against his square jaw, and the man could have modelled in a sports magazine in another life. He was like a sculptured statue.

"I see... And what about your leadership skills? Are you good at managing a team, Mr. Ackerman?"

Levi thought back to his times with Furlan and Isabel. Although they were all practically kids (Levi and Furlan being in their early twenties and Isabel late teens), he would have to say… yes. He was a good leader…

He had been the unwitting leader of their small ragtag trio after all, always keeping the peace when Furlan and Isabel squabbled like long-lost siblings, or when they failed to clean up after themselves.

Tch. Such brats they'd been...

Levi met Erwin Smith's vivid blue eyes again and nodded. "Yes. I have been a strong leader in the past."

He really wasn't using the STAR approach that Hange had gone through with him earlier—Situation, Task, Approach, then Result. At most, he was vague and blunt with his answers, using little words as much as possible, but the way they stared at him…

It was like they were seeing a living marvel. He could even say shit and fuck, and they'd probably still be impressed, but he wasn't taking any chances.

He really needed the job. Mikasa was becoming gloomier by the day, and he was sure the rot in her wall was taking up the face of a demon. He shivered.

It looked like she'd finally summoned a demon from hell with all that heavy metal music.

Tch.

"Well, what can I say? I am very impressed by your resume, Mr. Ackerman," the blond man went on, and Levi raised a brow.

He barely even looked at it the whole time he interviewed him. Not that it was impressive by any means. Hange had whipped it up for him the last moment on her small laptop then printed it off—the paper was still warm and the font smudged—but Levi had to bend the truth just a little and say he used to work on "commission". He didn't have to give the true nature of his old job(s).

Street Urchin, Underground Thug, and Hitman just didn't sound all that appealing...

"You're hired. Welcome to the team!"

Levi seldom got shocked, but when those words came from that man's chiseled lips, his eyes almost popped from their sockets.

And then when Erwin Smith reached his hand across his desk, with Hange and Mike flanked on his left and right like his shoulder angel and shoulder demon, respectfully, Levi almost jumped out of his chair, backing to the door.

It had to be a trap. There was no way they would hire him. The middle-aged man he met in the waiting room earlier was a far better match than him, although he'd stunk of beer.

Hannes. That had been his name.

Why not hire Hannes instead? Levi was not Sina University material. Hannes looked like your typical, lovable uncle (albeit a drunk, lovable uncle).

He'd hit it off with the kids and the staff.

Levi, however, smashed people's heads open for fun. Well, the old Levi used to. Now current day Levi just spent his days staring wistfully out the window, hoping something would happen.

That was when Levi noticed the seal on the cufflinks of Erwin Smith's fine, bespoke suit. It was of a pair of wings, one wing blue and one wing white, and a vision flashed through his eyes.

He saw himself in another life, flying over the shingled rooftops of a medieval-looking town while he took out some hideous, naked giant that resembled an overgrown baby.

He flew over the houses with a strange, wire-like coil that shot out from a reel at his belt, his green cape flapping in the wind behind him as his blades were made of a lightweight yet lethal metal, and it was like remembering a dream from within a dream...

The scenery was familiar yet… foreign. He even saw his cousin Mikasa at one point, and his late Uncle Kenny too, and… wait… was… was that Krista? She was wearing a crown...

Hange was there too, and some green-eyed kid he'd never seen before, and Levi was… kicking the shit out of him for the benefit of a captivated audience in some grand courthouse by the order of Dean Erwin Smith. Odd.

And what was with their cropped tan jackets? They looked like some kind of military uniform, all baring different emblems of various regiments. Levi's had the blue and white wings of the dean's cufflinks, and it really was a bizarre world he was seeing.

Something stood out to Levi the most. In this world, he was a hero (minus the kicking the shit out of some loud, green-eyed brat), and he was fighting for justice.

For freedom…

Not like in this fucked up world where he was a hitman (an ex-hitman), taking out sweet college-aged girls.

Even if the universe he saw inside his vision was archaic and most likely riddled with plague-like diseases, at that moment, Levi would rather be the Levi that he saw there.

So he reached across and took the hand of Erwin Smith, and the man's strong palm closed around his own.

"Glad to be on board, sir."

Levi crashed back to reality as the memory abruptly ended, and now he stopped, looking back. Shit. He'd passed five benches as he was still carting his wheeled contraption, and fuck…

He really was lost in his own thoughts. If it wasn't thoughts about Krista Lenz, then it was thoughts about Commander Erwin Smith.

Wait, hold on. Dean Erwin Smith. Not commander.

Where the hell did Levi get commander from?

Never mind that now. He had some shitty benches to clean, and now he got out his homebrewed concoction of alcohol, toothpaste, and hairspray, and started scrubbing away at the detailed graffiti of a lady's vagina.

Tsk. College kids. They really were a bunch of filthy brats...

…

Dean Erwin Smith watched that peculiar little man from his office window, observing the way he scrubbed and scrubbed at that park bench, and he really was thorough.

How one so deadly could be so clean was beyond Erwin, but nonetheless, Levi Ackerman would make a fine addition to his secret organisation...

Erwin needed men of considerable talent, and despite Levi's grumpy, irritable demeanour, he would be the one to help humanity.

After all, there was a whole world to be explored beyond the walls. The Ministry of Walls told the people long ago that all of humanity outside the walls had gone extinct, and all that was out there now was complete ruin.

How can they really be so sure? Erwin's father had always asked the same question, but he'd soon paid the price when the ministry got wind of his ideas.

Not to worry. Erwin would avenge his father's death one day and follow in his footsteps. Hence why Erwin became a teacher, and eventually the dean of Sina University.

There were many young, inquiring minds amongst the university's student body after all, and Ewin would nurture them all.

Professor Hange Zoe and Vice Dean Mike stood on either side of him, watching the strange little man as he fretted over a vandalised bench.

"What the hell's he doing?" Mike mumbled in his deep, gruff voice.

Erwin inhaled deeply through his nose, closing his eyes. Then when he opened them again, he settled them back on that hunched form of Levi Ackerman, releasing a heavy sigh. "Cleaning benches…"

Mike scoffed. "Why?"

One side of Erwin's mouth stretched. "Well, you got a good sniff of him after all, Mike. This is a man who is very thorough and meticulous with any task given to him. Even when it comes to something as simple as cleaning… Leave no stone unturned, they say..."

Erwin felt Mike's prolonged gaze from beneath his shaggy bangs, and now the man shook his head. "Unbelievable, Erwin. I don't even know where you drag them up. I still question where you found this one…"

The shaggy blond indicated his head toward Hange, and both men turned her way.

The hare-brained professor pushed her glasses up along her aquiline nose as the sunlight reflected off the lens.

"It's as I said, fellas. He's definitely made of the right stuff. This small, unassuming man will help pave the way for our future with his cruel yet precise tactics, I'm sure…"

Erwin reached across and patted Hange on the back, and the bespectacled woman held her head with pride. "And we have you to thank, Hange, for bringing him to us. It was you who created the job opening after all."

It's true. Hange had opened up the janitorial position and told her dear friend Levi. Although some other prospective employee managed to jump on board too, Hannes, or whatever his name was, the interview had just been for Levi's sake.

Levi was always going to get the job, and now here he was, cleaning benches on school grounds where they can keep a permanent eye on him.

The future of humanity depended on it after all. If he was as brilliant as Hange said he was.

The opportunity just had to present itself first, then Levi could show them all what he was truly made of.

Any day now, Erwin was sure he would see the infamous Levi Ackerman in action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So good to see Erwin, Mike, and Hange. I just wonder what they have planned for our boy...
> 
> Hannes was the janitor in Junior High, so kudos if you got the reference.
> 
> See you all again next week.


End file.
